Development of new medium tank started in October of 1932 and in
1933, Army High Command (Reichswehr) granted a contract for a
development of a "heavy tractor" (Grosstraktor). Both Rheinmetall-Borsig
and Krupp were ordered to develop heavy tank and both provided their
designs. At first vehicles were designated as PzKpfw VII (PzKpfw IV neu
Art), but in October of 1933, they were designated as Neubaufahrzeug
("Newly Built Vehicle"). Rheinmetall’s Model A and Krupp’s Model B were
very similar in their overall design and mainly differed in the armament
and arrangement of the weapons mounted in the turret. Rheinmetall’s
(PzKpfw NbFz V) design had 37mm Tankkanone L/45 installed over a 75mm
KwK L/24 and Krupp’s (PzKpfw NbFz VI) design had 37mm Tankkanone L/45
installed beside 75mm KwK L/24. Both designs had two slightly modified Panzer I‘s
turrets armed with machine guns (one mounted in the front and other in
the rear). Those two tank designs were to complete the family of
standardized German tanks.
PzKpfw NbFz V and VI’s designs were very similar to the contemporary
British Vickers "Independent" tank, Soviet T-35, French Char-2C and
proved to be too complex to produce and did not perform as expected.
Only two (designated Nr.1 and Nr.2) mild steel prototypes were built by
Rheinmetall in 1934 and three more armored prototypes (designated Nr.3,
Nr.4 and Nr.5) in 1935/36. NbFz Nr.1 was the only one mounted with
Rheinmetall’s turret armed with 37mm Tankkanone L/45 installed over a
75mm KwK L/24 gun and turret mounted frame antenna. Other four vehicles
were mounted with Krupp’s turret armed with 37mm Tankkanone L/45
installed beside 75mm KwK L/24, while 105mm KwK L/28 gun was planned.
In August of 1935, Nr.1 and Nr.2 took part in the exercises of a Panzer
Division, while the other three were extensively tested on the proving
grounds at Putloss in 1935 and 1936. In 1937, it was decided to convert
NbFz tanks to Nebel Panzer armed with 105mm gun able to fire smoke
ammunition, but there is no further evidence of any work being done. At
that time the German Army wanted to gain experience with multi-turreted
tanks, but soon this project was cancelled in favour of the Panzerkampfwagen IV
development which would eventually become the main battle tank of the
Panzertruppe until the end of World War II. Overall multi-turreted
tanks were inferior to German designs and tactics, which relied on high
mobility rate instead of firepower. In general, multi-turreted tanks
proved to be unsuccessful when used in combat and were gone from the
battlefield by 1942. In Spring of 1939, Krupp’s PzKpfw NbFz VI was
shown at the International Automobile Exposition in Berlin.

PzKpfw NbFz V (Rheinmetall) on the production line.

NbFz Nr.1 (Rheinmetall) in the Krupp factory in 1942.

Three (with Krupp turret) of the five saw service with Panzer Abteilung zur besonderer Vervendung 40
in Norway in 1940. All three formed platoon size unit known as
Panzerzug Horstmann / Zug Putloss, commanded by Lieutenant Hans
Horstmann. They arrived in Oslo on April 19th of 1940 and gave the
Allies appearance of Germany having heavy tanks. Two served with PzAbt zbV 40,
while the third served with 196th Infantry Division. This particular
vehicle was immobilized, but not destroyed by the British soldiers (see
"The History of a Rare Panzer" below), while one of two from PzAbt zbV 40,
drove into the swampy area at Andalsnes and got stuck and was
eventually blown up by the German engineers (that explains "The History
of a Rare Panzer" below). On May 16th, the lost Nbfz was replaced by one
of the mild steel prototypes and PzAbt zbV 40 had once again three NbFz tanks. It is known that PzAbt zbV 40
was stationed at Akershus Fortress (Oslo) in Norway in 1941 and then in
Finland in 1942, but it seems that NbFz tanks never left Norway and
were eventually captured by the Allies in 1945 and then scrapped.

German source states that NbFz tanks were part of von Kleist’s 1st
Panzer Gruppe on the Eastern Frontand that one of them was destroyed
near Dubno on June 28th or 29th of 1941. Another source states that
other two were destroyed near Romanian border in June of 1941. It is
also reported that both returned to Germany in November of 1941. The
only photographic evidence is that from Krupp factory from mid 1942,
where one of Nbfz (Nr.1) tanks is being repaired with Sturmgeschutz III(40)
assault guns on production line in the background. Probably one of two
mild steel prototypes built in 1934 remained in Germany for tests and
was eventually scrapped in 1941. The development of Leichte Traktor,
Grosstraktors and Neubaufahrzeugs provided German designers and
manufacturers with valuable experience in designing and producing the
next generation of more powerful panzers that were soon to come.

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

A revolutionary design

BT means Bystrochodnij Tankov (Fast Tank). It was indeed a new class of
its own, originally invented and refined in the USA, as the brainchild
of American Engineer Walter J. Christie, which had a tremendous
influence in tank design during the thirties. Christie has observed WWI
tanks in action and the beginnings of US tank postwar development at
home. He had realized how deep was the gap between the fast armored
cars, but with poor off-road capabilities, and the slow, but all-terrain
proved tracked tanks. He devised new ways to cope with this problem,
revolving around power-to-weight ratio and new suspension designs. His
first prototype was ready in 1923, but was rejected by the US Army. He
then developed even faster tanks, equipped with powerful radial aircraft
engines and the acclaimed "Christie" suspension, as well as the concept
of removable tracks. The idea was that, with this new suspension and
the combination of very large rubberized wheels and huge vertical coils,
his model remained operational even after its tracks were disabled,
excessively worn or broken. The tank was also capable to reach the
battlefield by itself, on roads, with its tracks stored on the
mudguards, rather than to be carried by rail. It was displayed on
impressive shows and quickly dubbed by the press "the race tank".
However, the Army only ordered a single prototype for evaluation by the
cavalry corps, the Christie model 1931, but further orders were
cancelled.
- See more at:
http://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/soviet/soviet_BT-2.php#sthash.r3MtEi4V.dpuf

A revolutionary design

BT means Bystrochodnij Tankov (Fast Tank). It was indeed a new class of
its own, originally invented and refined in the USA, as the brainchild
of American Engineer Walter J. Christie, which had a tremendous
influence in tank design during the thirties. Christie has observed WWI
tanks in action and the beginnings of US tank postwar development at
home. He had realized how deep was the gap between the fast armored
cars, but with poor off-road capabilities, and the slow, but all-terrain
proved tracked tanks. He devised new ways to cope with this problem,
revolving around power-to-weight ratio and new suspension designs. His
first prototype was ready in 1923, but was rejected by the US Army. He
then developed even faster tanks, equipped with powerful radial aircraft
engines and the acclaimed "Christie" suspension, as well as the concept
of removable tracks. The idea was that, with this new suspension and
the combination of very large rubberized wheels and huge vertical coils,
his model remained operational even after its tracks were disabled,
excessively worn or broken. The tank was also capable to reach the
battlefield by itself, on roads, with its tracks stored on the
mudguards, rather than to be carried by rail. It was displayed on
impressive shows and quickly dubbed by the press "the race tank".
However, the Army only ordered a single prototype for evaluation by the
cavalry corps, the Christie model 1931, but further orders were
cancelled.

A revolutionary design

BT means Bystrochodnij Tankov (Fast Tank). It was indeed a new class of
its own, originally invented and refined in the USA, as the brainchild
of American Engineer Walter J. Christie, which had a tremendous
influence in tank design during the thirties. Christie has observed WWI
tanks in action and the beginnings of US tank postwar development at
home. He had realized how deep was the gap between the fast armored
cars, but with poor off-road capabilities, and the slow, but all-terrain
proved tracked tanks. He devised new ways to cope with this problem,
revolving around power-to-weight ratio and new suspension designs. His
first prototype was ready in 1923, but was rejected by the US Army. He
then developed even faster tanks, equipped with powerful radial aircraft
engines and the acclaimed "Christie" suspension, as well as the concept
of removable tracks. The idea was that, with this new suspension and
the combination of very large rubberized wheels and huge vertical coils,
his model remained operational even after its tracks were disabled,
excessively worn or broken. The tank was also capable to reach the
battlefield by itself, on roads, with its tracks stored on the
mudguards, rather than to be carried by rail. It was displayed on
impressive shows and quickly dubbed by the press "the race tank".
However, the Army only ordered a single prototype for evaluation by the
cavalry corps, the Christie model 1931, but further orders were
cancelled.
- See more at:
http://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/soviet/soviet_BT-2.php#sthash.r3MtEi4V.dpuf

A revolutionary design

BT means Bystrochodnij Tankov (Fast Tank). It was indeed a new class of
its own, originally invented and refined in the USA, as the brainchild
of American Engineer Walter J. Christie, which had a tremendous
influence in tank design during the thirties. Christie has observed WWI
tanks in action and the beginnings of US tank postwar development at
home. He had realized how deep was the gap between the fast armored
cars, but with poor off-road capabilities, and the slow, but all-terrain
proved tracked tanks. He devised new ways to cope with this problem,
revolving around power-to-weight ratio and new suspension designs. His
first prototype was ready in 1923, but was rejected by the US Army. He
then developed even faster tanks, equipped with powerful radial aircraft
engines and the acclaimed "Christie" suspension, as well as the concept
of removable tracks. The idea was that, with this new suspension and
the combination of very large rubberized wheels and huge vertical coils,
his model remained operational even after its tracks were disabled,
excessively worn or broken. The tank was also capable to reach the
battlefield by itself, on roads, with its tracks stored on the
mudguards, rather than to be carried by rail. It was displayed on
impressive shows and quickly dubbed by the press "the race tank".
However, the Army only ordered a single prototype for evaluation by the
cavalry corps, the Christie model 1931, but further orders were
cancelled.
- See more at:
http://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/soviet/soviet_BT-2.php#sthash.r3MtEi4V.dpuf

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

The Panzer I was a light tank produced in Germany in the 1930s. The name is short for the German Panzerkampfwagen I ("armored fighting vehicle mark I"), abbreviated PzKpfw I. The tank's official German ordnance inventory designation was SdKfz 101 ("special purpose vehicle 101").
Design of the Panzer I began in 1932 and mass production began in
1934. Intended only as a training tank to introduce the concept of armored warfare to the German Army, the Panzer I saw combat in Spain during the Spanish Civil War, in Poland, France, the Soviet Union and North Africa during the Second World War, and in China during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Experiences with the Panzer I during the Spanish Civil War helped shape the German armored corps' invasion of Poland in 1939 and France in 1940. By 1941, the Panzer I chassis design was used as the basis of tank destroyers and assault guns.
There were attempts to upgrade the Panzer I throughout its service
history, including by foreign nations to extend the design's lifespan.
It continued to serve in the Spanish Armed Forces until 1954.

The Panzer I's performance in combat was limited by its thin armor and light armament of two machine guns. As a design intended for training, the Panzer I was not as capable as other light tanks of the era, such as the Soviet T-26.
Although weak in combat, it formed a large part of Germany's tank
forces and was used in all major campaigns between September 1939 and
December 1941. The small, vulnerable light tank would be surpassed in
importance by better-known German tanks such as the Panzer IV, Panther, and Tiger; nevertheless, the Panzer I's contribution to the early victories of Nazi Germany during the Second World War was significant.

The Evil Empire on the Brazos(BEE) chronicles the on goingwars (games) and the diplomaticefforts (Posts/GNN Reports) ofall the known nations (wargamecollections) in my little area of thegalaxy.My goal is to both entertain

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